But Thursday, the CBC reported that a third government agency, Defence Research and Development Canada, a civilian arm of Canada’s Department of National Defence, had also been penetrated by China-based hackers.

The Chinese government insisted it had no connection with the cyber attacks. Canadian officials were quick to point out that there is no apparent link to that government. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said, “China attaches great importance to computer security and consistently opposes and cracks down on hacking activities according to relative laws and regulations.”

Harper wouldn’t comment specifically on the unprecedented attacks, but he said at a press conference in Toronto Thursday that he recognized cyber security was “a growing issue of importance, not just in this country, but across the world.”

He added that in anticipating potential cyberattacks, “we have a strategy in place to try and evolve our systems as those who would attack them become more sophisticated.”

Treasury Board President Stockwell Day told the Ottawa Citizen the breach was not the worst the department had ever experienced.

“I wouldn’t say it’s the most aggressive [attack], but it was a significant one.”

“They were going after financial records. Our alarm systems went off in time and we were able to shut things down and protect information, but it shows we have to be constantly vigilant.”

Last year, the head of Canada’s CSIS (the Ottawa counterpart of the CIA) warned that the Chinese government was increasingly intruding in Canadian internal affairs, but he backed away from those statements.